LAS VEGAS, NV • Illinois came away from the U15 Greco-Roman championships with two titles—no surprise that Illinois is known for its Greco—and that is at any age. U.S. Open champions Robert Ruscitti and Thomas Banas moved through their weights in a most impressive fashion. For Ruscitti, he undeniably dominated the 48kg bracket as his longest […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Fifty percent of the United States Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling team is from Illinois—that is half. Now, two of those weight still need to be qualified—67kg and 77kg—but three of the six Trials champions come the Land of Lincoln; come August, the Land of Greco. In state, Greco-Roman wrestling, a style in Illinois […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Kennedy Blades has done what no other woman in America has been able to do since before 2011, and that is defeat the United States’ most decorated female wrestler, Adeline Gray. In the Bryce Jordan Center, on the campus of Penn State University, Blades, now 20 years old, cruised through the Challenge […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Joe Rau was on a comeback that saw him win the Olympic Team Trials in 2016, only to not qualify the weight; qualify the weight for 2021, and then lose in the Trials; and now, after being on all possible ends, he will head to Paris, where the weight has already been […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Ellis Coleman was an Olympian back in 2012; since, he has competed off and on with some success, has had multiple surgeries on various parts of his body, has retired, and now he has returned. Twelve years after his London Games Olympic experience at 20 years old, Coleman is now looking forward […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Kamal Bey came out of the Olympic Qualifier last month angry—angry at how he lost, and angry at himself for allowing his anger to impact his wrestling. Moving forward he said he was going to re-center himself for the Trials, and that was what he did. His calmness, patience, positioning, and, as […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • Today is all that matters. Friday has been wrestled out and the Challenge Tournament has been completed—all of the everything will now play out over the next few hours inside of the Bryce Jordan Center in Happy Valley.  For Illinois, there are three wrestlers who will try to hand-fight their way to […] More

6 min read STATE COLLEGE, PA • The morning began with 27 wrestlers from or with ties to Illinois, and now, headed into tonight’s semifinals, nine remain with Olympic dreams still intact. Of those nine, four are Greco, four are women’s Freestyle, and one is men’s Freestyle. Here are the matchups for the opportunity to wrestle either […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • The path to Paris runs through the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University this weekend and, in what may be the most challenging Trials across all weights for the US, whoever comes out as the US representative will undoubtedly be a true medal contender come the Olympic Games […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • The path to Paris runs through the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University this weekend and, in what may be the most challenging Trials across all weights for the US, whoever comes out as the US representative will undoubtedly be a true medal contender come the Olympic Games […] More

STATE COLLEGE, PA • The path to Paris runs through the Bryce Jordan Center on the campus of Penn State University this weekend and, even though the United States has struggled on the World stage with its Greco-Roman wrestling, there are some Olympic medals to be had overseas.  One of the bright spots for the US, […] More